Politics

4:08 am

Wed November 9, 2011

Personhood Amendment Rejected By Miss. Voters

Adam and Debbie Browne tried to drum up support Tuesday for a proposed 'personhood' amendment to the Mississippi state constitution that was ultimately rejected by voters.

Rogelio V. SolisAP

Mississippi voters on Tuesday rejected an amendment to their state constitution that would have declared that life begins at fertilization.

The result was somewhat unexpected: As recently as a few weeks ago, the so-called personhood amendment was considered almost certain to pass. Voters in Colorado have twice rejected similar amendments to declare that life begins legally at fertilization, in 2008 and 2010. But Mississippi, with its far more conservative bent, was considered much friendlier territory.

Backers of the measure had made a special pitch to the state's large African-American community. In one ad, an ob-gyn named Freda Bush told voters, "You do not have to have a law or medical degree to know the truth and protect unborn babies from abortions."

Opponents of the measure, Amendment 26 on the ballot, argued — to some effect, as it turned out — that it simply went too far. One ad warned voters that the measure made no exceptions for cases of rape and would also ban birth control pills. (If it had passed, the amendment likely wouldn't have banned all birth control pills. But it would have banned those that work in part by blocking fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus.)

Felicia Brown Williams, outreach director for Mississippians for Healthy Families, the group that successfully fought the amendment, says there was no single reason voters turned against the measure.

"I think it was just a matter of making sure that the voters were informed," Brown says. "And when they were, they came to our side."

But even with the loss, supporters of the amendment aren't giving up. Efforts are already under way to get similar constitutional amendments on the ballot in another half-dozen states next year, and to pass personhood legislation in at least two more states.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

In Mississippi, voters decided not to amend their constitution to include an amendment on personhood. As recently as a few weeks ago, it was considered almost certain to pass. NPR's Julie Rovner explains.

JULIE ROVNER, BYLINE: Voters in Colorado had twice rejected similar amendments to declare that life begins legally at fertilization, in 2008 and 2010. But Mississippi, with its far more conservative bent, was considered much friendlier territory. And backers made a special pitch to the state's large African-American community with ads like this one, featuring an OBGYN named Freda Bush.

(SOUNDBITE OF AD)

DR. FREDA BUSH: You do not have to have a law or medical degree to know the truth, and protect unborn babies from abortion.

ROVNER: But opponents of the measure, Amendment 26 on the ballot, argued - to some effect, as it turned out - that it simply went too far. Here's an ad featuring a nurse named Angela Worthy.

(SOUNDBITE OF AD)

ANGELA WORTHY: Twenty-six would keep a pregnant woman with cancer from getting the care she needs. Twenty-six makes no exceptions, even a woman has been raped. And it would ban birth-control pills.

ROVNER: Actually, had it passed, the amendment likely wouldn't have banned all birth-control pills. But it would have banned those that work, in part, by blocking fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus. Felicia Brown Williams is outreach director for Mississippians for Healthy Families, the group that successfully fought the amendment. She said from her group's victory party last night that there was no single reason voters turned against the measure.

FELICIA BROWN WILLIAMS: I think it was just a matter of making sure that the voters were informed. And when they were, they came to our side.

ROVNER: But even with the loss, supporters of the amendment aren't giving up. Efforts are already under way to get similar constitutional amendments on the ballot in another half-dozen states next year, and to pass personhood legislation in at least two more. Julie Rovner, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.